Chapter 5

Cyril barges into Marta’s house with a child in tow. "I want you to take these instruments back," He demands. "They are keeping everyone, especially the children, from doing their work and studies."

"I cannot take back a gift that was given to their ancestors. These instruments have been in these families for generations, even if they have been hidden. Let us take this up with the rest of the elders. This is not a decision that you or I can make alone."

We meet Meelos, Trina, and the rest of the villagers in the Village Square. There is a lot of arguing and accusations flying around. It seems that the anger has not yet left the valley. Meelos quickly gets everyone’s attention and quiets them down. "What is all the uproar about," he asks.

"These instruments are causing several to become lazy and not do their work," Cyril answers. "They should be put away and not played again. I want the Oracle to take them back."

"I cannot take these instruments back. They were given to your ancestors after I had brought them to this valley. I gave your ancestors the land to live on and till, I gave them music so that they would know that work wasn’t the only thing in life. That there was a balance between work and play. That both things were equally important to the health of each person as well as to the village. It is now up to you to find that same balance. Cyril, you have an instrument waiting for you where your ancestral home once stood."

Meelos thinks the whole thing over for a minute; Trina is waiting to hear what he has to say. Finally he comes to a decision. "Oracle, you are right it is up to Trina, Cyril and I to strike a balance between work and play and to help the villagers understand and reach this balance. A gift once given cannot be given back. And Cryil, go collect your instrument, you might find that you enjoy playing it."

"Now that has been settled, I have a request to make. I need to go and investigate the cave that was in the blighted area, what I need is a few strong, able bodied people to help carry anything that is found back to my house so that I can study it thoroughly. I am not sure what I will find there, if anything."

As the five of us make our way up to where the blighted area was, we all notice new growth. It is good to see that growth will take place. The cave is still dark and sinister looking; the feeling though is that of peace. The entrance to the cave is rather small, yet the cave itself opens to a large room. Evidently this is where the sisters lived and where they kept me captive.

In one corner is a single bed and chair with nothing else around it. This must be where they kept me. It is the only part of the whole room that is clean. The amount of energy that was needed to keep me subdued was great, so great that nothing could settle around me. Even now this corner has very little dust. The rest of the cave though is filled with clutter. It will take all of us to figure out what is worth taking and what will be left here.

"What we are primarily looking for are maps and journals that the sisters kept. Be careful of what you read do not get to involved with what they wrote. Words are powerful whether spoken or written. Especially the words of my people. In fact do not even say any names that you might come across. Names carry a great deal of power, When a persons true name is said the person who said it has power over the named person, except for these sisters, whoever says their names will become their pawn. Even though they are dead, their spirits are still powerful. With that in mind lets start looking, we will be taking back books and maps, the trunks that are full of books will go back to my house without being looked through here. Anything that is out will be decided upon. Some things will not go back some will."

With Aleatha’s help, several trunks full of books are found and put together outside the mouth of the cave. The three men take them back to my home. Aleatha and I start looking at the books left out, we find several journals that hadn’t been put away yet, these are the newest written by the sisters. We look through them quickly, trying to see if they wrote anything about what they were trying to get me to tell them. We find a few tantalizing tidbits. One laments that she sent her familiar away, another wonders why she doesn't have more than one, the third is amazed that anyone has more than one familiar, and the last is angry that I don’t tell them where any of mine are. Well at least I now know what it is they wanted of me. Did I have more than one? It seems that each of them has looked all over for whatever my familiar could be, the result being that they didn’t know what it was or where it was. In these journals they give no hint of what it could be.
"What is a familiar?" Aleatha asks.

"A familiar is something that helps to keep us on track with our spells. For you and your mother the plants that are used for healing would be your familiar. Depending upon what your role is depends on what your familiar could be. It can be either plant or animal. Each one of the elders has a familiar, even if they never know what it is or even that they have one. Our familiar will help guide us in making decisions. I can’t help but wonder why one of these sisters is wanting more than one or why she thinks that it is possible." I wonder if I had more than one. I must still have at least one, even if I don’t know what it is. I know that I have spirit guides, that is what is needed with runes and ogam sticks.

On a set of shelves there are several crystals in various shapes, colors, and forms. These are also put into the trunk with the other journals that we found. One of the crystals starts to glow ever so slightly when I pick it up, this one I decide to keep with me. On another set of shelves there are several rolls of paper. Upon unrolling them we discover that they are maps from all over the world. These will also go back to my house for further study. One of the maps is of this valley and a village that is outside the valley. The crystal glows brighter when it is placed near the map of the village. It looks like I am going to be travelling again. This does not surprise me though. This crystal will show me the way I need to go, and hopefully will help me find what I’m unable to remember.

"Let’s get the rest of this stuff back to my house where we can study this in more depth. There may be some answers in here. At least the answer as to why they wanted me. I think I’ve already figured out part of the why." So we pack up the rest of what we want and take it back to my house.

As we get closer to my house we notice that there are several people standing outside, including the three men that had brought the other trunks. No one wants to get close yet everyone is curious about something that is on the porch. "What is everyone looking at?" Everyone jumps at the sound of my voice, I notice that they all look a little frightened.

"There is a strange animal on your porch," says someone from the group. At that the group splits apart so that I can get a look as to what they are looking at. What is there surprises even me.

"This is my familiar. She is a Black Panther and she won’t hurt any of you." I get the felling that this is not my only familiar. This is why one of the sisters was wondering how to get more than one familiar. Each familiar has a meaning for the person that they choose; the person doesn’t choose the familiar. There is, at least, strength with this familiar, and quite possibly more than that with this one. I will have to meditate on the meaning for this to get a better understanding. "Let’s bring the trunks in, put them in the study." Study? Another new room.

The study is quite large, with several desks along two of the walls, and a very long table down the center of the room. There are lots of windows and lights in this room. There are several sets of shelving along another wall. Very suitable for studying the contents of all the trunks, and the maps and crystals.

As the trunks are brought in I try to sort them according to the marking on the lids. Each sister had her own trunks; each trunk with similar markings is put next to a desk, four separate markings, and four separate desks. The trunk that Aleatha and I packed and brought back goes next to the large table. "Thank you all for helping bring in these trunks. I will sort through them first, and then I will need help in going through all the books for whatever information can be learned from them. I will also need help with the maps that we found as well."

After everyone leaves, I notice that the panther is sunning herself next to a window. She is a very beautiful animal. I still feel the tingle at the back of my mind, just beyond reach. I had hoped that maybe she was part of that tingle, she wasn’t though.